€tiarlc5 l^ciirn Bell, CC.D. 




^C/^c^A^ :m^^al^ 



MEMCVIP. 



CHARLES IIENEY 7",ELL, LL.D. 



BY 



/ 



THE REV. EDMITM) F. SLAFTEK, D.D., 

MUIBEK or TIIK NEW IIAXPSIIIKK UUTOBICAL S<K'IKTT. 



<^»MH.«*:^ 



BOSTON: 

PRIVATELY PRINTED. 

1H95. 



"F"3°\ 



EEPKIKTED FROM THE NEW-ENGLAND HlSTORICAt. AND GENEALOGICAL UEGISTER 
FOR JANUARY, 1895. 



i 



mi:moir 



f'nAm.F.s IIkxht Bell wn« Imm in Cliositfr, N>w IIunipHliirc, 
on the cij^htcciith day of N'ovi-iiiber, 1^2.}, ami ilit-il in Kxctor in 
the same State on the eleventh day of Xoveinher, l><iK3. The enii- 
pnint ancestor of the family, .Iniin Hell, who wmh Ixirii in In'laiid 
in lt)79, but of Scotch descent, settled in I^ndonderrj', New Hamp- 
shire, in 1720. He was one of the orij^inal {rrantees of Lontlon- 
dern,-, and an active and foremost citizen in the affairs of the town. 
His son .Ichn, of the second j;cnerati<in in this country, held many 
local offices, was a dclcf^atc to the first constitutional convention of 
the State, u Kcpresentativc and a Senator in the Icfrislature for 
several years, an officer of the church to which he helon<.'»'d, a 
devout Christian, of good judjrmcnt and stcrliu}; intc<rrity. John, 
of the tliird generation, the fatlicr of the subject of this sketch, was 
n prosp<Tous and successful man of i)usineS8, first in Dcrr^-, New 
Hampshire, and subsequently in Chester in the fame State. He 
was early a member of the House of Hepresentatives, of the Senate, 
of the (iovcrnor's Council for several years, sheriff of tiic county, 
and wan (lovcrnor of the State in 1M2H. 

Ciiarles Henry Hell in his early youth had tiic bc-'t op|)iirtunitics 
for education which New Kngland at that time affonlcd. .Vt the 
age of twelve years he was cntcn-d as a student of Pembroke 
Academy. Here he remained two years. In \M1 he became u 
member of Phillips .\cademv, in Kxetcr, but the next year he re- 
turned to Pon)bri>ke where he conipleti'd bis preparation for ciillegc. 



He entered Dartmouth College in 1838, then not fifteen years 
of age. His brother had entered in 1837, which furnished a reason 
for placing the younger brother in college at that early age. The 
health of the elder became delicate, and after the expiration of the 
autumn terra of 1838, the two young men were withdrawn, and 
their connection with the College severed for the time being. During 
the next two years Charles Henry remained, for the most part, at 
his home in Chester, devoting enough time to study to keep his 
preparations for college fresh in mind, while the residue he gave to 
such desultory reading and writing as suited his inclinations and 
taste. Some months, however, of this period, probably in the last 
part of 1839 and early part of 1840, he devoted. to the study of 
civil engineering, under the direction of James Hayward, Esq., 
whose office was in Joy's Building in Boston. 

In 1840 he re-entered Dartmouth College, joining the freshman 
class, then past sixteen years of age. He was a faithful and con- 
scientious student, acquitting himself honorably in all departments, 
always ranking among the best third of his class ; but he did not 
aspire to high attainment in exact scholarship, as ambitious young 
men often do. Impelled by an extraordinary love of knowledge, 
he was, during these years, an insatiate reader, and made himself 
familiar with the whole circle of English classics and with the best 
writers on both sides of the Atlantic. 

While an undei'graduate he became deeply interested in military 
affairs, both in the science and in the manual of the soldier. The 
students of Dartmouth at that time were required by law to muster 
annually, as a part of the militia of the State. They were, how- 
ever, permitted to form a company by themselves, which was called 
the Dartmouth Phalanx. This company was made up of picked 
men from the whole college, and they were naturally men who had 
a taste, if not for military science, at least for military drill. The 
uniform of the officers was a black dress-coat, white vest, and white 



piintnlnonr*. Tlu" rout wn« triiniiicd with pohl luco, the «kirt Ix-inp 
liiu*<l with white !<atiii. The liiit wait a ooininoii hoiivcr, hciirin^ n 
cocka«I»'. Tliethroi' offioiTH woreat thi- niiloa liijilily doronitoddwonl. 
The (In'ns «>f the men was likewise a lilack dress-eoat and white pan- 
tahiuns, with kna])!<a<-k, canteen, curtridjie hox and hayonet sheuth, 
of apprKved pattern and make. While this unilurm wan Hoher and 
modest, it was nevertheless dij^nitied anil efleetive, and in all respeeta 
appropriate to a eompany of scholars. I'nder the discipline of a 
daily mornin<r anil eveninj; drill, the I'halan.x attained an excellence 
unknown outside of a military school. It hecame the pride of the 
eidlejje and the pride of the State. Mr. Hell was ajipointed captain 
of this company on the 22il of .Vpril, 1H4.'{, and retired from ottiee on 
the IMth of April, 1M44, a short time liefore liis graduation from the 
college. His natural taste for military knowledge was eultirateil and 
developixl hy the constant exercise of the company in the nianual, and 
by the rending of treatises of a far wider scope than the exigencies 
of the case required. These studies, elementary indeed, hecame a not 
unim|>ortant l>ranch of his education, and were valuahle to him in 
many ways, practically so %vhen in after years, in Exeter, he was 
comniandcr of the Sullivan (tuards, and still later, when as CJover- 
nor, he held an official relation to all the militar}' organizations of 
the State. 

f)n leaving college Mr. Hell immediately hegan the studv of law 
in the office of the Hon. James Hell of Kxeter, who was, perhaps, 
the most eminent lawyer at that time at the Xcw Hampshire bar. 
He could not have chosen a better preceptor. I^earned, dignified 
and judicious, careful and systematic, his office fumisheil a school 
of patient investigation, thoroughness and the best practical work. 
After two years the Hon. dames Ik-ll removed from Kxeter, and 
Mr. Hell complete*! his studies under the direction of the Hon. 
Sanuiel Dana Hi'll, an able lawyer, and subsequently Chief •Fusticc 
of the Supreme ( 'ourt of New Hampshire. 



He was admitted to the bar in 1847, and began the practice of 
his profession in Chester, the place of his birth, and where his 
mother after the death of his father continued to reside. This 
beautiful town had many attractions in itself, and many dear asso- 
ciations, but it offered little encouragement to the aspirations of a 
young lawyer. 

In 1849 Mr. Bell entered into a partnership with Nathaniel Wells 
of Somersworth, who for some years had been conducting an im- 
portant law business in the village of Great Falls in that town. 
Here Mr. Bell practically began his career as a lawyer. Mr. Wells 
was distinguished as a counsellor, for his office practice and his able 
and thorough preparation of cases for argument, but he rarely 
presented his own cases in court. In this new relation, Mr. Bell 
found an ample field for obtaining facility and skill, which only 
come of experience, in presenting to courts and juries questions of 
fact or of law. This department of his profession he here culti- 
vated with assiduity and success. 

In 1854 Mr. Bell removed to Exeter, whore he found a larger 
field and a more satisfactory clientage. It not only furnished a 
wider scope for legal knowledge and talent, but it was the centre 
of a cultivated and refined society. The seat of Phillips Academy, 
unsurpassed by any other institution of the same class in New 
England, amply equipped with instructors of the best scholarship 
and varied learning, it had long before attracted other residents of 
congenial tastes and scholarly habits. Here Mr. Bell was happy 
to make hie home, and here he passed the remaining years of his 
life. 

In 1856 he was appointed solicitor of Rockingham county. 
This office he continued to discharge for the period of ten years, 
and at the same time he conducted an important civil business both 
in his office and in the courts. As a lawyer and an advocate, Mr, 
Bell had a profound distaste for the vulgar hectoring and black- 



giinniiHin in which inoniliori) of tht- prtifcsdioii, i-vt-ii of tliMtinction, 
Domt'timotf in(hil};o. He phtcod hiiiiHflf DUtoide aiul alxjvc thia by 
a iiiaiiner (.'iiiiiu-iitly hio own. At all tiinea \\ia eoiiiluct to witncoscfl, 
to the jury, to the eourt and to the oppoitiu^ counsel wuo aerioua, 
eourti'iius, rettpeetful and dignified. From thin hearinj^ and coiirtcHy 
to all in the eourt room, no perrtunalitieD or ill manners eould tempt 
him for a moment to depart. TIum method eame not na the result 
of studied art and self-ilideipline, Init as the natural oti'sprin;; of a 
high sense of proprit-ty and an innate sense of justiec. He re- 
(Tardinl every trial before the eourts, in whieh he was engaged, 
simply as a legal investigation, whose function was to draw out and 
establish justice between man and man as interpreted by law and 
evidence. lie wantc«l no more, he sought for no less. His method 
was a great power with juries and with courts. He possessed their 
confidence, and this confidence he never misled or betrayed. He 
was justly regarded by his compeers as an able lawyer and a skilful 
advocate. 

\ few sentences from the sketch of Mr. Bell contained in the 
" liench and Bar," contributed by Judge Jeremiah Smith, LL.D., 
now Story professor in the Harvard Law School, and for some years 
on the bench of the Supreme Court of New Hampshire, will convey 
his estimate of him both a« an advocate and a lawyer : 

His argamenta were generally brief but clear. lie did not waste his own 
time or the time of tlie court. Almost never did he utter a superfluous 
sentence, and scMom an unnoccAsary word. " Cli'iirness of statement," it 
has been well said, "is the great power at the bar." Mr. Bell possensed 
this fuculty in a remarkable degree. His oral arguments had the crystal- 
like clearness which was so marked a cliaracteristic of the written opinions 
of his cousin, the lato Chief .luslirc Samuel D. IW-ll. It is safe to ».^y he 
never sat down without making all his points fully understootl. One great 
charm of Mr. liell's speeches consistetl in his atlmirahle comro.tnd of lan- 
guage. He always used the right wonl in the right pl.ire Ilia 

eiperionco with juries proves that courtesy and fuirnojui are not insuperable 
obstacles to saocess, and that a man of ability and integrity can obtain 



8 

verdicts without resorting to any small artifices or objectionable methods 
He did not fawn upon jurors or flatter them. He did not introduce irre- 
levant topics for the sake of exciting sympathy for his client, or prejudice 
against his opponent. But his straightforward method of trying a case was 

more effective than the flank movements which are sometimes adopted 

It was probably the general opinion of Mr. Bell's friends that, though he 
was successful at the bar, yet the more appropriate place for him was the 
bench, where two near kinsmen had served with distinction. He certainly 
possessed marked qualifications for that position ; a competent knowledge of 
law, practical experience, tact, sound sense, a dignified presence and a 

power of controlling men Had he remained in active practice, he 

must ere long have been tendered a judgeship. 

To these statements of Judge Smith, we are tempted to add the 
following brief sentence from a private note of Judge Charles Doe, 
LL.D., the present Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New 
Hampshire : 

A mind more capable of grasping, mastering and presenting legal ques- 
tions, quickly, clearly and thoroughly, I have never known. 

In dealing with legal principles and their practical application, 
Mr. Bell took great pleasure, hut the conflict and wranghng of the 
court-room were alien to his nature and foreign to his tastes. After 
twenty-one year's experience, in 1868, he retired from active prac- 
tice at the bar, and devoted himself to more congenial pursuits. 
After this period, however, he was often appointed a referee, whose 
duties he personally enjoyed, and which he discharged with unusual 
satisfaction to all parties. His findings, we have been informed on 
good authority, were without an exception approved by the courts, 
and, we think, no appeal from his decisions was ever made on points 
of law, or if made was not sustained. 

In 1858, 1859, 1860, 1872 and 1873, Mr. Bell represented 
Exeter in the legislature of the State. He was a State Senator in 
1863 and 1864. He was Speaker of the House in 1860, and 
President of the Senate in 1864. In his first year in the House he 



1» 

wn8 innilf clmirinun iif tin- jiidiciiirv coininitti-i-, n vt-ry uiiiimuiiI honor 
to n youii<; iiu-iiilicr. In tlie liiti-r ycnrs ot' hut incnil)er.sliip lit- wiia 
the m-kno\rlc(l<;i'(I K-ailiT of tUv IIuumo, and one of tlu- iiioMt iiMi'tiil 
iuul inriuoutial of ito nieniltors. 

In 1H7JI, liy tlio ii|j|iointiinnt of tlio fjovcmor, he l>ccnmc a mem- 
Iht of the I'nitotl States Senate, to Hll a vaeancy until an eleetion 
in the followin<r June. 

Ill- WHO jfovernor of Xew Ilanipiihire f«)r a term of two years from 
.hine, 1>X1 to June, |HS3. In hu politieal attinitiei*, (lovernor 
IJell was a repuMiean I'roin the organization of tliat party. He waa, 
however, never a politi<-ian in the modern vulj.'ar itenae of the wonl. 
lie souj^ht no (Kditieal advaneenient. The otfiee 8ou;;ht him, not 
he the ofliee. He wjui, however, thoron^rldy loyal to Wm prineiples 
and to iiiti jiarty. When it caiiecl iiini to a puhlie serviee and 
pled;;e<l him its support, and he iiad aeeejrted its pledj^es, lie <»eeu- 
j)icd a new relation. If he had any personal andiition, it was <do.iely 
hound U|> with the suecess of the party. He statcnl puhliely and 
]>rivately. frankly, clearly and fully tiie prineiples an<l spirit that 
would animate, (ihape and eontrol his administration. This frank- 
ness was tloulttless a potent cause uf his popularity. He adniinis- 
tereil the trusts committed to him under the dictates of a deliheratc 
nnd well informed ju<1pnent. His administration hore the test of 
time and experience. His wisdom was justified l)y events. The 
citizens tnistiHl him and were never deceived. When he was nomi- 
natetl for {fovernor of the Stite hy the repiihlican party of New- 
Hampshire, it was hy acelnnintion. There was no ilissenting voice. 
His election, subeeqneutly, wc arc informed, was hy the largest 
nnmher of votes ever east for a governor in the State of New Hamp- 
ahire. He ilischar;ji-<l the duties of the oftice with dij^nitv, im- 
{lartiidity ami wis<Iom, and we nniy add with the approbation and 
S4itisfaction of all parties within his jurisdiction. 

In l-'^.s'.' Mr. Ikl] eonipleted his jiublic service in the interest of 



10 

the State by presiding over a convention, called to revise its Con- 
stitution and adapt it to the expanding growth of tlie State in 
population and wealth. It was an important and influential posi- 
tion to occupy, and he was highly gratified to be honored in being 
called to preside over a political body of such distinction and dignity. 
It Avas a courteous testimony of confidence and respect from hisi 
fellow citizens, and a pleasant rounding off and completion of his 
political career. 

Mr. Bell took an active personal interest in education in all its 
stages, branches and instnimentalities ; in schools, lyceums and 
libraries. While he was governor of the State, he was a trustee, 
ex-officio, of Dartmouth College, and was a constant and punctual 
attendant upon the deliberations of the Board. 

He was an active member, from the start, of the board of trus- 
tees of the seminary, established in Exeter by the munificent legacy 
of William Robinson, a native of Exeter, but at the time of his 
death a citizen of Augusta, Georgia. The endowment was about 
$250,000, and by the provisions of the will, established a school 
for girls only, thus supplementing the interests of education in 
Exeter by furnishing for girls what Dr. John Phillips had done 
for boys in the later years of the preceding century. During the 
period between the signing of the will and its execution, a great 
depression of values had taken place, and it was found that ]Mr. 
Robinson's family was not as generously provided for as the testator 
had intended. Mr. Bell, and another member of a committee 
appointed by the town, visited Mrs. Robinson in Georgia, and after 
a thorough investigation made an adjustment which was entirely 
satisfactory. A plan for the organization of the school was elabor- 
ated with much care, suitable action was taken by the legislature, 
and in 18G7 the school was put into operation. In all this Mr. 
Bell took an active and leading part. On the fourth day of July, 
186i3, he laid the corner-stone of the school building of the semi- 



11 

niirv, witlj eliihorutc Miisonio rori'monii'!i, <in wli'idi occiiHioii ho Ac- 
Iivi-ri-(I :i (lisciiiirHC in wliit-li uftiT a rii[)iil ^liiiii-c at tlu> (■(liicutional 
intrro<<t<i of till' town frmu tin- lii-^^iiiiiinj; down to tin* pn'm.-nt tinn?, 
lie closed with ii ^nieeful iiiul eli)i|Uciit penirution on the lireadth 
aiul extent of this nohle endowment. Mr. Hell nerved on the hoard 
of trustees of the Uul>inson Seminary for the period of ten years, 
when he resigne<I. 

In 187!t lie was made n trustee ol Pliillips Kxeter Aeademv, 
wliirh office he continued to hold, and was president of the Hoard 
at the lime of his deatli. The hi;^h character of this school, tlic 
lur;;e numl)er ut its scholars and tiie distin^ruished ability reipiired 
in its teachers, and the conseijucnt and imperative importance of 
kecpinf^ every part of the institution in a sound and healthy condi- 
tion, made the rc8punsil>ilities of the trustees, capecially of those 
resident in the town, constant, and ofken delicate and perplexing. 
Mr. Hell's eminently judicial mind, his calm and even temper, his 
wise forcthoiij^ht, his care to know thorou;;hly every (juestion that 
required deliheration, made him durinj^ all these years a useful and 
influential trustee of the Academy. From the nu'ctings of the 
Board, sometimes held in Kxeter and sometimes in Boston, he was 
rarely, if ever, absent. 

.Sini'c his death, .Mr. diaries Marseilles of Kxeter has presented 
to the Boanl of Tnistces for the Academy (lallery a crayon portrait 
of GoVemor Bell executed by the distinguished artist, William 
Kurtz of New York. 

Mr. Bell wrote and delivered numerous discourses on education 
in its various relations to human progress, whi<'h remain in manu- 
script. .Vmong others a discourse on "the comparative advantages 
of the Ijyccum at .Vtlicns in ancient (Jreecc and the Lyceums of 
our own country"; one on "the changes in the methods of instruc- 
tion in the lost half century in our New Knghind schools"; and an- 
other on "the high aims and lofty purposes that ought to animate 



12 

and control the scholnr." The treatment of these and kindred sub- 
jects occupied siicli hours as he coidd spare from the duties of an 
exactiDg profession. 

After his retirement from tlie bar in 18(i8 ^Ir. Bell had ample 
leisure for such occupations and jmrsuits as were most agreeable to 
his inclinations and tastes. He did not announce to others, or 
even propose to himself, a literary career. He simply did in the 
field of literature whaterer seemed to have obvious claims upon his 
attention . In nearly every imdertaking there vFas some plain personal 
or other adequate reason for its performance by him rather than by any 
one else. He engaged in no work that was trivial or unimpoi'tant ; 
neither did he wait for some great subject to present itself, in the 
treatment of which he might anticipate personal distinction and 
fame. He plainly acted on the excellent maxim, "a wise man will 
do always and thoroughly the duty that lies nearest to him." 

]\Ir. Bell's first literary venture was the Life of William M. 
Richardson, LL.D., late Chief Justice of the Superior Court in 
New Hampshire. This little twelvemo volume of 90 pages was 
published in March, 1839, only four months after the autlior had 
completed fifteen years of his age. While it contains the marks of 
a youthful hand, it nevertheless contains a clear and systematic 
compendium of the life and career of its distinguished subject. It 
remained for more than half a century a valuable memorial of a man 
of singvdar merit, of ju'licial ability and learning, and has not even 
now been superseded, unless by the more compact and mature con- 
tribution by the same author, in his "Bench and Bar" of New 
Hampshire, 

On the 10th of June, 1869, Mr. Bell, by invitation, delivered an 
oration in Derry, New Hampshire, at the 150th Anniversary of the 
Settlement of Old Nuffield, comprising the towns of Londonderry, 
Derry, Windham, and parts of Manchester, Hudson and Salem. 
The subject of this discourse is the character of the early settlers of 



IS 

Lonilontlt'iry ninl tlic infliioncc of the settlenu-nt ii|Kin tlic ruin- 
iiiunity. It ii« not, tlu-rt'rori', tin liiNtorii-ul nkctfii, liut an illiiHtratiun 
of tlifse twi) tlii-nu-K liy :i ;;i'iiiTal statcnu-nt of tlie liistury of the 
iiilonisti*, till- trialsi ami iliHiciiltu-s tliroiijfli wliiili tlu-y i>iu<8fil, the 
(huij^cra uf II frontier Mettlenieut in the (lo|ithei of a priiiK-val forest, 
tlie cthii'iition of tlieir eliildren anil the niaintcnauec of their reli{;ioU8 
institution!) ; tlieir lianly ami roltiist iiliyHiijucs, tlieir intellectual 
strenjrth ami vifjor, their stern, unhemlin^ relii^ious prim-iple, the 
great aehievemeiits of niany of their ileseemhints, their pruilenee, 
their imlustry, their sound jml^inent and self-relianre ; all these 
iKiints are diseussi.'il with j^eat fullness, liut nevertheless without 
an%' invidious distinetion or eulo<ry of individuals, with tlie single 
exception of a few resolute and hrave men, who, in the wars of the 
c«»untry, covered theiiiselves and their naiiU's with glory liy their 
Uohle and heroic conduct. 

Mr. Hv'.! piihlished in 1H71 an octavo volume of seventy-three 
pages, entitled "Men and Things of Kxeter, New Ilamiishire." 
This historical hrochure was replete with interest to the dweller in 
E.xcter. It descrihed the early settlement of the town ; recounted 
many striking colonial events ; the stirring oe<-urrences of the revt>- 
lutiou ; the outSreak of the popular feelings at difl'erent times and 
their causes ; the visit of the cclelinited Knglish evangelist, Whitc- 
fieM, in 177(t, and that of Washington in ITH'.i; the religious es- 
talilishments ol" the town from the heginniiKr, and the character and 
influence of tlu-ir various ministers down to the present time. 

The same year, on the ISfh of March, IMTI, Mr. Il<-ll deliveri'il 
a discourse in Boston, on the invitation of the New-Kngland 
Historic (ienealogical Society, at the dwlicution of the Society's 
Huusc. It was puhlislied hy the Society with the proceedings on 
the occasion. 

The discoiin-ic recites compactly and clciiriy the growth in this 
country of historical senliiiicnt and interest during ihc last i^'n- 



14 

eration ; it points to tlie patronage of tlie government, its publi- 
cation of certain historical works at the public cost and its sanction 
by the people. It informs us that new workers are constantly coming 
into the field, historical libraries are multiplying, and memorials of 
the past are brought together to illustrate its history. "We are re- 
minded of the unexampled riches and extent of the field and the 
prolific sources of historical material. Dangers are pointed out. 
Hasty and superficial work is deprecated. Faithful and conscien- 
tious work is already everywhere recognised and appreciated, and 
a brilliant career in the futiu-e is predicted for the able, broad- 
minded and accomplished historian. 

In 1873 Mr. Bell delivered an address before the New Hampshire 
Historical Society, being the semi-centennial anniversary of the 
founding of the Society and tlie 2.50th anniversary of the settle- 
ment of Xew Hanipshire. In this discourse is sketched an outline 
of New Hampshu'e's early colonial history, a brief mention of its 
organization as a State, the birth of the Historical Society, its dis- 
tinguished early members and workers, its special labors and 
achievements in the past, and the broad and inviting domain that 
sti'etches out for its occupation and cultivation in the futtu'c. 

Mr. Bell published a pamphlet entitled "Exeter in 1776. 
Sketches of an old New Hampshire town as it was a hundred years 
ago. Prepared for the Ladies' Centennial Levee held in Exeter, 
February 22, 1876." The title of this paper explains its purpose. 
The limits of the little village as it was in 1776 are defined ; the old 
houses, public and private, are described ; the methods of business, 
the customs and habits of the people are pictured with the personal 
character of the prominent men, enlivened by numerous illustrative 
incidents and anecdotes. 

The same year an important volume was issued, entitled " John 
Wheelwright, his writings, including his fast day sermon, 1637, 
and his Mercurius Americanus, 1645, with a paper upon the 



15 

grnuinon»'8jt of tin- Iiuliiin |)i'i-(l ul" lili!*, iind n MeiiKiir." TImm 
vuliiiiic, piililLslicd l)y tin- I'rinfc Sooiety in 1X7(5, in Dne of the 
8orii>8 ut° ilt) viiluiililo liiatoricul pulilicatioiiH. It in a xiiuill ((iiiirto uf 
253 |i«;,i's». Tlio incinoir l>y Mr. lU-ll \s tlic firwt coiiipk-to l)ioj^i|iliy 
of till- Kiv. .lolin Wluflwri;;Iit tvi-r |iul>li.'<la(l. It was carLfiilly 
propuRtl, larj;i'ly from old manuttciipt ricordri, atur the most 
tlion>ii<;h ri>t«('arclu-s, and is an important rontrilxition to New 
Hn^dand histiTv. Tlif paper on the hxiian deed of llJii* proHi-nts 
tdoarly and fully the arjjumcntu for and a<rainHt the ffenuineness of 
the doi'ument. At the time of the puhlieatioii of tiiiei volume in 
1S7(), no evidenee hail heen produced proving; that ^^'heel^vriyht was 
not in this eountrj- in 1*>25I ; and if he were here, there was a strong 
prohahility that the deed was {renuine. Suhsequently, reeonis were 
found estat>lishin<; the fact that he was in England at the tunc of 
the alleged exeeutiou of the deed. This rendered it nearly ccrtjiin 
that the instrument was a fabrication. Mr. Bell made this known 
in a letter pul)lished in the Xew-Knglaud Historical and tienea- 
logieal Kegistcr for July, l!S91. A eareful examination of Mr. 
Bell's treatment of the subject will show how completely he was 
able to sec all sides of a difficult and controverted subject. 

In the month of July, 1876, Mr. B«'ll, accompanied by his 
family, made a voyage to Europe, wlurc he pas.-icd a year, returning 
in July, 1{<77. His travels extended to England, Ireland, Scot- 
lanil, Fnmcc, Gennany, Austria, .Switzerland and Italy, passing 
ecvcral weeks in the great cities and central points of interest in 
each of tliese countries. In this period he not only visitc<l the many 
ol)jects and places of antiipiarian and historic interest and fame which 
fell in Ids way, but he ma»lc a turvcy, more or les.-* satisfactory, 
of the tinest existing works of art, in painting, sculpture and 
Hrchitccturc. 

In the series of Memorial Hiogniphiea puldisiie<l by the New- 
England Historic Genealogical Societv, Mr. Bell contributed in 



16 

1880 a memoir of Daniel Webster. An outline of Mr. Webster's 
whole life is compressed, in this paper, into twenty pages. It pre- 
sents, of course, only the prominent and striking incidents of his 
extraordinary career. Its brevity is characteristic of the author's 
method, and illustrates hia style, at once concise and comprehensive. 
One great event passes so easily and naturally into another that 
this brief summary has the appearance of a complete and finished 
whole. We have seen no better epitome of Mr. Webster's life. 

The same year, ]\Ir. Bell delivered a discourse before the Alumni 
Association of Dartmoutli College, in niemory of the Hon. Ira 
Perley, LL.D., late Chief Justice of tlie Supreme Judicial Court 
of New Hampshire. This was one of a series of discourses de- 
livered at the rc({uest of tlic alumni in honor of graduates of that 
institution who were distinguished injudicial stations. The writers 
were limited as to time, and this, as was the brief paper on Mr. 
Webster, is an illustration of succinctness and completeness com- 
bined, and is a finely drawn outline of the character and career of 
that remarkable scholar and jurist, who in aliility is ranked I)y ]Mr. 
Bell "with our Marshalls, our Parsonses and our Kents." 

In 1881, at the anniversary of the New Hampshire Alplia of the 
Phi Beta Kappa Society at Dartmouth College, Mr. Bell delivered 
an oration w'.ilch was publlslicd by the Society. The su!>ject was, 
"The Worship of Success." He pointed out that in this country 
the avenues to success are open to all, and that the struggle for it 
is excessive and undlscrlminating. The means of attaining it are 
often unworthy and debasing. They cloud the moral vision, warp 
the judgment and obliterate the distinction between right and 
wrong. There is a noble and an ignoble ambition. The passion for 
wealth, fame and power should be limited, and subordinated to a 
high moral pui-pose. Honest labor is dignified and noble. "It is 
ntit the sphere of one's work, but the work one does in his sphere, 
that determines his rank as a benefactor of the world." The edu- 



17 

ciiKhI class can ilo imidi to frco society from ifrnorimt pretention and 
iinwortiiy aiul)itiou!), truiii the iiionil oi)Ii(juity that blindly wurohiita 
unworthy auccesfl. 

Mr. Hoi! i)ul»li.fhc<l in 1HS3 an octavo volume of somewhat more 
tlian a liundretl pajjea, entitled " I'liillipd Kxcter Academy in New 
Iliiiiipi^hire." 

It contains n complete outline of the history of the Academy from 
the liepinning, n full memoir of Dr. .John Phillips, the founiler, the 
desififn of the Academy ns indicated hy its charter, some nccount of 
its distinguisheil preceptors, and much detail relating to the chanpcs, 
projjn'ss and frrowth of the institution. The volume contains a 
complete and autlicntic list of tlic trustees and teachers from 1781 
to 1883. 

In 1885 Mr. Rell wrote a memoir of the late Dr. John Taylor 
Oilman of Portland, Maine, which was privately printc<l. 

It was intended to put upon record the estimate, both public and 
private, of the character and career of this distin^iishcd physician, 
for the gnitification of his family and friends. The story of his life, 
domestic and professional, in tiiis pamphlet of thirty-six pages, is 
gracefully told. 

Mr. Bell delivcretl an address in Exeter, June 7, 1888, on the 
two himdrcd and fiftieth anniversary of the settlement of the town, 
entitled "Kxcter liuartcr-Millennial." The pcrioil treated by this 
discourse is divide<l into five sections, each covering fifty years. 
While it is the principal aim of the address to show how Exeter 
discharged its duties as a town, liow it met its obligations to the 
State of New Hampshire and to the general government, at the 
#iame time it gives much information of a lo<"al character, such as 
its contril>utionB in men and money and influence in the several 
wars through which the country h.ns passed, and the distinguislie*! 
citizens who took part in these numerous conflicts. It is a purely 
historical document, and was well adapted to the very interesting 
occasiuD for which it was preparc<l. 



18 

The same year, 188&, Mr. Bell published "The History of the 
Town of Exeter, New Hampshire." It is an octavo volume of more, 
than 550 pages. The subject of the work is treated topically and. 
not chronologically. The character and career of tlie Eev. John 
Wheelwright, tlie founder of the town, the Exeter combination and 
tlie allotment of lauds, are fully delineated. The religious societies,, 
the Indian and French wars, the revokition and other wars, schools' 
and academies, the press, manufactures, burial places, ornamental 
trees, old houses, prominent families, lawyers and medical men ; 
all these are treated as distinct and separate subjects, a method un- 
u.sual, but which offers nevertheless some important advantages- 
The gathering together of the material of this large volume, the 
organizing and marshalling its scattered fragments into form for 
the reader, was the patient work of many years, and it must remain, 
an indestructible monument to Mr.. Bell's loyalty and devotion to the 
interests of the town, where he passed so many happy and useful 
years. 

At the anniversary of the Bunker Hill Monument Association 
on the 17th of June, 1891, ]Mr. Bell, by invitation of the Associa- 
tion, delivered a discourse on the battle of Bunker Hill, in which 
he points out the particular part performed by the New Hampshire 
troops. The histoiy of the whole battle i& outlined with great 
clearness, but the part taken l)y the New Hampshire regiments is- 
described with rare distinctness and fulness, and on evidence which 
admits of no contradiction , New Hampshire had waited too long 
for a writer competent to perform this valuable service. To his. 
graphic description of the action, Mr. Bell gives brief memoirs of 
the prominent New Hampsliire men who were engaged in this re- 
nowned conflict. 

The last work published by Mr. Bell is the " Bench and Bar of 
New Hampshire." It is an octavo volume of 795 pages, and bears 
the imprint of 1894. It contains memoirs of eighty judges of the 



lii;rlu'«t courU of the Province uinl Stntr, aiii^ iiivinoirn ttf ncvi-n 
liiiiulriMl iinil uiiii'ty-oni' liiwycrw, wlio luul pract'iHcd tlji-ir |irol"f8ni<>n 
ill Ni'w IIuinpMliire. In mlilltion to iIicmc tin- voinnic lontaiim tin- 
IIUII1C8 i»f 81'vi'n Imiulri'*! ami i-lcvi-n lawvcru now livinj;, wli<» liavt- at 
ttoiiic iioriutl hei-n in pnu-tice witliin tlif liiiiitH of tiK' Stjitc. The 
work liail juMt reaehc-il itt* coiiiph-tiuu, and watt nearly tlirou;rh the 
pretijt, when tlie author was .siidiU-nly auiiunoned iiway Ijy death. 
An intKx was adcUnl by tlie piiltlisluT, and a few other ueeeseorica 
by Mrs. Hell. In a literary point of view, in the extent and com- 
pleteness of the work, this is the miiyitnni npiiK of all the author's 
jiuhlicati<ins. The collection of the material lor even hricf sket<hea 
oi eight hundred and seventy-one juil^^es and lawyers could not hut 
occupy the vigihint thought and assiduous hihor of years. Kach ot 
the sketches is complete in itself, and is greater or less in extent 
aeconling to the material accessible and the prominence anil im- 
portance of the subject. There arc certain characteristics or lines 
in the career of men in the same profession which are similar, and 
sometimes seem to be almost identical. The reader of these sketches 
will, we think, be surprised nevertheless to see how widely one 
sketch differs from another. The skill and ingenuity of the author 
liave caused the narratives to spring uj) and take shape from those 
elements which are personal and peculiar, and consequently each 
narrative is different from all others, and has a coloring, freshness 
and individuality of its own. Many of the sketches are illustrated 
nml enlivened by anecdotes and incidonta characteristic of the men 
and of the times. We think it no exaggeration to say that this 
volume is the richest anil most valuable contribution to the history 
of New Hampshire which has been made in the present century. 
In the prefaci' the author says, "The preparation of this work has 
iH-en to me a labor of love, and I now offer it in partial satisfaction 
uf the debt I owe to a noble profession." 

SubHeiptently to 18ti8, after his retirement from the bar, in addi- 



20 

tion to the preparation for the press of the numerous publications to 
which Ave have referred, Mr. Bell gave much of his leisure to vari- 
ous historical and ati(|uarian studies. The early colonial history of 
New England, and of New Hanipsiiire in particular, always claimed 
an engrossing interest. He made liimself ftimiliar with its outlines 
and its important details. He appreciated the value and importance 
of getting at the heart and core of liistory, and to do this he not 
only studied ti'om original sources the habits, customs, education 
and religion of the people, but the motives and springs of action 
wliich animated and controlled their mlers. With the governors 
and lesser magistrates, the leading men in all grades of civil and 
military affairs, their power and method of using it, he became in- 
timately acquainted. He carried the same method into the study 
of the American revolution and the history of the United States. 
Coordinate to these studies, or as a supplemennt to them, he made 
collections of autograph letters and engraved portraits, sometimes 
adding an engraved representation of the home of the subject, or a 
brief sketch of his life in print. Each one of them was an object 
lesson in history. Around them clustered by a law of association 
the incidents and events of a whole career, or a whole life. They 
were gathered into groups in order to illustrate some period or great 
event in history. Mr. Bell made a large number of these illustra- 
tive collections. One group included the distinguished characters 
who i)layed an active and important part in the period immediately 
preceding the American revolution ; another included Washington 
and those most closely associated with him ; a third, the distinguislied 
men in any way connected with General Burgoyne and his cam- 
paign ; in like manner those wlio figured in the siege of Boston 
and in tlie capture of Yorktown. Several other groups were formed 
not less interesting and important. Besides these, Mr. Bell took 
great pleasure, as a pastime and an historical study, in illustrating 
ip the same way his History of Exeter, liis Life of John AMieel- 



21 

wrijjlit, Spiirka's Life of \Vimirmj,t(in, Htlkiiii|i'« ninti>ry of New 
IIiiiii|ii'irin-, aiul sovcnil ntlitT diniillcr worki*. 'l"lii» i-oml)inati()ii <il 
titiidv iiiul niiiiisi'iiuiit not only nlinorln'il u-^rfi-ulily iimiiy leiHUrc 
huuro, l>ut it Kcnc-il to ila;jiiorrc-otyi>o ii|ioii tin- iiiiixl nun ami tv«iit« 
in a way ni-viT to hv (•rtaccd. Of tlumc whose uutof^ni|>li littira 
anil iiortrait8 la- tlccnioil worthy of immrvatlon, hi- ohtaintd from 
nil accoeaihlc sources a distinct ami lull knowledfje. There was 
sonnely a genenil or rej^iniental officer in the Uevolutionary war, 
of wlmse value anil importance iu the service he hail not arrived at 
nn accurate and distinct opinion. 

In these studies, in which taste and pleasure ami intellectual profit 
were so happily cond)iued, Mrs. Hell was always a synipathizin;; 
co-worker, and did herself much interestin;:; and valual)le coordinate 
work. 

Mr. Bell made a collection, to which he gave his attention for 
many years, of books and pamphlets printed in Exeter. He ol>- 
taineil two hunilred and ten titles of liicse imprints alone, mostly 
puhlished heforc 1840. This collection he beiiueatheil to the town 
library, in which he had always taken an active interest. At the 
time of his death he was chairman of a committee appointed by the 
town for the erection of a librar)- building. In this building, since 
completed, we learn that a special book-case has i)ccn set apart for 
the safe-keeping of the I'.xifir impriuts, and as a uiemoriul of the 
giver. 

He also made a similar and nnicli larger collection, which he pre- 
sented to the New Ilamjishire Historical Society. It contains 
eleven hundred and five volumes and about one thousand pamph- 
lets. It was made on a definite and systematic plan. It com])riscs 
three classes : first, pui)lications printed in New Ilamjighire ; second, 
those by New Hampshire authors but ]irinted elsewhere ; thinl, such 
other publications as are in some special manner eonnectiil with 
the interests or history of New Hampshire. This collection, thus 



22 

brought together, is unique, and its importance and historical value, 
particularly as a bibliography of Xew Hampshire, can hardly be 
over-estimated. We learn that it is very properly kept in a separate 
apartment of the library, exclusively appropriated to its use, on 
which is inscribed the Bell Alcove. 

For many years he was assiduous in collecting an historical lib- 
rary for his personal use. No description of it can be attempted 
in these pages. It will suffice to say that the collection constitutes 
not only a very complete working historical library, but is likewise 
rich in rare and valuable Americana. 

Mr. Bell gave some attention to numismatics, especially to 
American medals and coins. Of the colonial and United States 
coins and paper money he made a valuable collection. 

Besides his other occupations he was a voluminous contributor 
to the journals of the day on many important and interesting sub- 
jects. Some of these papers might well have been noticed in these 
pages did space allow.* 

For twenty-five years, with the exception of one year abroad, 
Mr. Bell passed liis summers at tiie seashore in his cottage at Little 
Boar's Head. He took a leading interest in the local affairs of the 
place, and was president of its "Village Improvement Society" 
from its organization. His commanding and dignified presence 
will not soon be forgotten by those who resort to that qiuet and 
attractive shore. 

In social life ]VIr. Bell was somewhat reticent, especially in mat- 
ters relating to himself, modest, and even diffident. There was a 
subtle magnetism in some way connected with his personality which 
drew others to him as by an invisible cord. He rarely indulged in 
what is commonly called "small talk," but was courteous and 

• The following are sonic of tlieni : Reiiuirks lieforc the New Hiinipsliin- Historical So- 
ciety on the presentation of the Wehstcr p!i|iers liy the Hon. Peter Harvey. The viiulica- 
tiun of Gen. John Sullivan. Remarks at iwncctinj,' of the citizens of Exeter, April 19, 1865, 
on Abraham Lincoln. A sketch of the life of the late Commodore John Collings Long. 
Biographical notice of the Hon. Samuel 1). Bell. 



2.1 

oonlial, 11 ri'iuly liHteiuT iiml :ui iitiii.iiiiilly >;iiim1 convcTHntioniHt. 
IIo ilid iiiit oxpikixl iiikI iiilurn hitt tiiiliji-<'t witli fi<;iir(-H df H|H-crli, or 
tl>e flowiTw 1)1' rlu'torir, Imt jjiivi- tin- pitli iiiid curu nf thf Hiil»jiTt in 
hiiml in cli-nr, <lire«-t nnil f^nifi-ful Iuii^'ua;;i'. IK- cliariiictl IiIm 
hciircr.-* Iiv t*liowin^' tlicni tlic ri('linc'88 uf pure, «ini|ili', unailnnicd 
trtttli. In private cirrlett and with Iuh most intimate Iriendii lie 
often indiil^eil in n playful humor, an<l ocenttiunul flashen of wit, 
l)Uf this propen«ity, ilanj^erous when j^iven a free rein, wnw alwiiys 
under reeitraiut, and nirely apjH'ared in his intercourse with general 
eoeiety. or indeed in any of his pulilinhed writin;:^. 

The attractions of home were tlcar to him. AN'itliin its precinct* 
centred his supreme happiness. It was to liini all thut tlic puet« 
have made it : 

" The abode 
Of lovp, of joy, of ponce nnil comfort, where, 
Supportiiii; mill siipportt^l, polish'il friends 
And dear rulatiuiis mingle into bliss." 

Dartmouth College conferred upon him the degree of Doctor ot 
Laws in 1><81. 

Mr. Bell was a member of many Historical Associations. The 
New Hampshire Historical Socii'ty was nearest his heart, and to it 
he dcvotcil his licst tlioiif;ht and unwearied lahor. He hecamc n 
mcmlier in 1><.'>.'1, thus {giving to it the active service of forty years. 
He was president «if the Society nineteen years, fnnn .Iun«', lMi><, 
till his resignation in Ij^mT. Not only did he cnrirli it liy tin- large 
gift of 8elc<'tc<l volumes, to which wi- have already referred, Init lie 
attnicti-^l gifts to it from many sources hy his discreet and wise 
suggestions, and liy the confidence in its purpose and administration 
which he everywhere inspired. He was a vice-presiilcnt of the 
Prince Society, and was a mcmlier of its Council twenty-one years. 
He edited one of its publications, and was always an active and in- 
fluential memlHT of its Council. To the New-Kngland Historic 



24 

Genealogical Society, of which he was a member twenty-three years, 
he contributed from time to time valuable historical papers. He was 
a member of the American Antiquarian Society, also of the Royal 
Historical Society of Great Britain, and a corresponding member ii^ 
of the Massachusetts Historical Society and of many others. '"-t^ 

Mr. Bell married, on the Gth of May, 1847, Sarah Almira Gil- r^ 

man, daughter of Nicholas Gilman of Exeter. She died August 
22, 1850, leaving two daughters ; Helen, the wife of Professor 
Harold North Fowler, Pli.D., of the Western Reserve University, 
Cleveland, Ohio ; andPersis, the wife of Hollis Russell Bailey, Esq., 
of the Boston bar. He married 2d, June 3, 1867, Mary Elizabeth 
Gilman, daughter of Harrison Gray of Boston and widow of Joseph 
Taylor Gilman of Exeter. She survives him, as do likewise three 
step-children, Daniel, Col. Edward Harrison, and Mary Long Gil- 
man, all residing in Exeter, 



I 



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